(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stairways and, more particularly, to a stairway system that provides a series of balusters, which include features which align with both the tread and the handrail.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In stairway systems, the aesthetic aspects of the alignment of features on the baluster with the treads and the handrail were traditionally done through custom carpentry. In such cases, each baluster was custom hand crafted to create the alignment of the bottom features of each baluster with the tread surface while the top feature of each baluster aligned with the slope of the handrail. To accomplish this alignment each baluster component was hand crafted by a craftsman.
Although still possible today, it is prohibitively expensive for most construction and therefore rarely done. To make such features available at a reasonable cost requires the ability to create a system that allows for only the most limited number of balusters to be manufactured and maintained in inventory, which can be selected to achieve the desired alignment between both the tread and the handrail.
To date such a system has eluded the mass manufacturing industry. For example, some systems have been able to align features within a baluster with the handrail or alternatively with the tread; however, none have provided both features without custom manufacturing. In a tapered baluster system having a gradual tapers or small diameters pin tops it may deceptively appear that features have been aligned with both the handrail and the tread; however, this deception is revealed in tapered balusters having steeper tapers and larger diameter pin tops that show that the feature does not align with the hand rail when aligned with the tread.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved stairway system which provides a series of balusters which include features that align both with the tread and the handrail while, at the same time, minimize the number of baluster lengths within an inventory.